Dallas Cowboys: 2018 Season preview, prediction and more

The 2018 NFL season is nearing, and for the Dallas Cowboys, there are a few questions to be answered, especially whether they can improve over the disappointment of last year.

Looking back at the 2017 season for the Dallas Cowboys, the positive was they finished with a record above the .500 mark at 9-7 overall. The negative was the circus which surrounded the team in the daily Ezekiel Elliott drama that had an effect on the roster, especially when he served a six-game suspension.

Even before the Elliott suspension, the Cowboys were just off as a team, going 2-3 in their first five games before their bye week. After the bye, the Cowboys went on to win three straight games, only to then lose three straight, leaving them at 5-6 following Week 12. The pattern continued with three straight wins from Week 13-15, giving themselves a chance to reach the playoffs with two weeks left in the regular season.

Dallas was unable to overcome the Seattle Seahawks, losing by a 21-12 score, eliminating them from playoff contention. Week 17 saw the Cowboys keep a winning record with a win.

The good thing about the Cowboys is that it might be tough to get worse than last season, but with a franchise known for being looked at under a microscope, never say never when it comes to scrutiny and excitement involving the roster and their play on the field.

Head coach Jason Garrett is entering his ninth season as the head coach of the Cowboys, and thus far he’s avoided being in the hot seat with a .558 overall record since 2010 at 67-53 overall as the head coach, beginning in Week 10 of the 2010 season when he took over for the fired Wade Phillips.

But all of that is in the past for a Cowboys team that underperformed and didn’t play near to their potential last season. Looking forward to this season, the Cowboys are already battling injuries on the offensive line and still have some decisions when it comes to the depth of the roster as former starting tight end Jason Witten retired this offseason.

There have also been changes made within the coaching staff, with offensive line coach Paul Alexander joining the franchise after 23 seasons in Cincinnati.

There is excitement for this team, but the offense is going to have to be healthy on the offensive line to stay a top five unit in the league, and the defense will need to step up in big-time moments when the season is on the line as they failed at that in the past.

The regular season begins on the road on Sunday, Sept. 9 at Carolina and that is when we’ll see just what potential the Cowboys can live up to and if they are able to achieve success by returning to the playoffs.